Well strainer attachment



June 16, 1931.

A. E. CUNNINGHAM WELL STRAINER ATTACHMENT Filed March 11. 1929 M A -w- I I l: v %w aw m.

ATTORNEY pitch threads Patented June 16, 1931 ALFRED EUGENE CUNNINGHAM, or rEEN'roN, TENNESSEE WELL STRAINER ATTACHMENT AppIication flIed March 1 1, 1929. swarm. 346,164.

My present invention has reference to an attachment for tubular well strainers and is designed to provide a simple, cheap'and thoroughly effective means which will allow the strainer to which it is attached to be lowered through the casing and wash down through been a sand stratum which has previously determined or located without first drilling a hole and walling the sand off with mud. Also the removing of the mud from the sand wall whenever it is necessary to wall off the sand with mud, permitting the strainer to be set in clean sand, thereby preventing the strainer becoming clogged with mud, used in l walling off the sand stratum.

A further object is the provision of a means for this purpose which will positively prevent the strainer being turned loose without closing the bottom thereof so that sand cannot enter the strainer, and thereby eliminate the time and expense of re oving the pump and loading the valves with shot as is frequently necessary when sand finds its Way through the bottom of the strainer. To the attainment" of the foregoing and other objects which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better un derstood, the improvement resides in the construction, arrangement and operative association of parts, one satisfactory embodiment of which is disclosed by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view through the bottom of a strainer with the attachment thereon showing the strainer bottom closed. Figure 2 is a similar sectional view but illustrating the arrangements of parts when the strainer bottom is 0 en and ready to be lowered and washed own into the sand through the casing, (not shown), which has been previously set.

The numeral 1 "designates the strainer or screen which is to be placed in water bearing sand. The lower end of the screen 1 is arranged around the reduced shouldered portion 3 of a metal band 2. The strainer is preferably riveted to the band. The band 2, from its bottom is provided with interior left hand 4. The main body of the imbroadly indicated by improvement.

of course, round in plan and is the numeral 5. This body has a central houldered portion on whose up er edge the band 2 rests, the said body having its upper periphery, from its shouldered portion provided with left hand threads 6 for coengagementwith the left hand threads on the band 2. Below the cen tral or shouldered portion of the body 5, the said body is peripherally formed with left hand pitch threads 6 which are engaged by similar hand pitched threads in the bore at the upper end of the tubular bottom 7 of the This lower wall of the bottom is closed, but the same is provided with a series of apertures 8.

The wash line or pipe 9 has screwed on its lower end acoupling that connects the same to a nipple 10, the threaded connection between the-coupling and nipple being in the nature of right handpitch threads. The lower end of the nipple 10is peripherally formed with left hand pitch threads 11 for coengagement with similar threads on the upper and annular portion 12 of the body, the said portion being provided with the exterior threads 6. The nipple 10 has passed transversely therethrough a pin 13 which is suitably secured to the said nipple. The numeral 14 designates the hollow closing plug. This plug is provided with left hand threads 15 for its entire length, the same engaging with similar hand pitched threads in the central portion of thebore of the body 5. The upper and open end of the plug 14 is notched, as at 16, to receive the pin 13 therein. The closed bottom of the plug 14 is for distinction indicated by the numeral 17 and as disclosed by the drawings is in the nature of a projecting flange. above the flange the plug 14: is provided with an annular seriesof apertures 18.

- In assembling the parts constituting the improvementthe nipple 10 is screwed into the wash pipe line 9 or rather screwed into the coupling at the lower end of the said wash pipe line. The body 5 is then screwed to the nipple, the 1plug 14 is bottom of t e said body until the upper edge of the holes or apertures 18 are even with the provement 1s,

At a suitable distance screwed in place in the bottom of the body 5. llhe pin or'bolt 13 is inserted through the nipple 10 and through the slot 16 in the hollow plug 14. The bottom 7 is then screwed on the body 5. The ring or band 2 is riveted to the strainer and the strainer with the band attached slipped over the wash pipe line and screwed in place on the body 5. The device is now ready to be lowered in the well casing by means of the wash pipe line 9.

The well casing is first placed down to the water bearing stratum. It is to be noted that the strainer is now open. Water is pumped in the top end of the wash pipe line and out throu h the holes or apertures 18 in the plug 14 and S in the bottom element 7 which washes the sand from under the bottom, up the outside of the strainer and allows the strainer to be lowered. After the strainer has been lowered the proper depth the water is shut off and the strainer released and the top of the strainer sealed in the usual way. To release the strainer the wash line pipe is turned to the right, thereby unscrewing the left hand thread which is on the lower end of the nipple screwed into the body 5. As the wash line is turned the pin or bolt 13 will turn the plug 14;, screwing it up to bring the apertures 18 in the bore of the body before the nipple 10 is released from the body. This also brings the head 17 of the plug nearly up to the bottom of the body5 by the time the nipple 10 is released. After nipple 10 is released, a few more turns of the wash pipe line will bring the head 17 in contact with the body 5.

The wash line pipe can then be raised. as the same is released from its threaded engagement with the part 12 of the body and the raising of the wash pipe line will, of course, bring the bolt or pin 13 out of the slots 16 of the plug 14. The strainer is now released and the bottom is positively closed.

To remove the strainer from the well, screw nipple 10 into the wash pipe line without inserting bolt 13, lower into the well and screw wash pipe line into body 5 and lift strainer out.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A Well strainer having a band riveted to the bottom thereof and which band'is provided with interior left hand pitch threads a body having a shouldered portion to rest on the band provided with an annular ex tension having inner and outer threads, the latter engaging with the threads of the band, a hollow bottom screwed on the body and havingits base portion apertured, a nipple coupled to a wash pipe and having lefthand pitch threads to engage with the inner threads of the body, a hollow plug having a closed bottom and provided itsentire length with left hand pitch threads, the body having a threaded bore to engage with the threads of the plug,=said plug having a series of annular apertures adjacent to'its closed bottom and its upper open end provided with 0 positely disposed notches, and a removab e pin extending transversely through and secured to the nipple and designed to be received in said notches, when the plug is to be turned to bring its apertures into or below the bore of the body and to be removed when the nipple is screwed into the body to 7 permit of the strainer being raised by the wash pipe out of the well hole.

2. A well screen having a bottom below the screen whose wall is provided with apertures, a body providing a partition in the bottom, a hollow slotted and apertured headed plug screwed through the partition, a wash pipe having. a lower nipple provided with the same hand pitch threads as those of the plug screwed in the partition, and a removable pin carried by the nipple to be received in the slots of the plug when the nipple on the wash line is screwed into or out of the'body to turn the plug to bring the apertures thereof into or below the bore of the body and to be removed whenthe nipple on the wash line is screwed into the body and the screen is to be raised with the wash line out of the well hole.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

ALFRED EUGENE CUNNINGHAM. 

